Hunter Chase - 6.30 Fontwell

[Darran]

First of all in years gone by we should have been looking forward to an all hunter chase card at Fontwell this evening, but sadly the course have decided to axe it this year. As sad as it is I am not all that surprised that it was axed as it had looked under threat for a few years. First of all no one went to it after the card moved from Folkestone and Fontwell was basically deserted whereas Folkestone was packed out. Secondly the fields usually cut up pretty badly and clearly ARC want runners for competitive racing to create money. I will always have found memories of the card though from having gone through the card at in the final year it was held at Folkestone in 2012 to having covered the meeting on At The Races for 3 years so it will always hold a spot in my heart. I also think it is a shame we have lost it because it gave horses a chance to win a hunter chase that wouldn't have had a chance otherwise and there are a few whose only hunter chase win did come on the card.

Anyway we still have one race on the card, but a quick look back at Perth last night first. I was worried when the ground went soft for Magna Sam and my suspicion is he didn't enjoy it although he dropped out at a stage which could suggest there was something ailing him. Refusal was also a spent force a fair way from home. In the end end the winner had little to beat given he was always likely to uphold the form with the 2nd. Pass The Way will need to find a pretty weak race to win again under rules.

Just the 5 runners for this evening's hunter chase then and another short price David Maxwell favourite in Shantou Flyer. He clearly has the best form in the contest and ought to be pretty hard to beat. Now he didn't have the race won for me at Wincanton when David fell off and Keltus does take him on again, but I thought David gave him a strange ride that day. He kicked him clear of Keltus going down the back for the final time and I don't think he was ridden to the best of his ability. His 3rd in the Kim Muir is way above what any of these can achieve and he deserves his long odds on quotes in my view.

Law Of Gold is 2nd in the betting and has been backed. He ran really well in last years Foxhunter when 7th although he does have 27L to make up on Shantou Flyer and whilst the weights give him a few lengths in his favour he would have had to improve and the favourite regressed to reverse the form and I'm not sure either of those things have happened. I thought Law Of Gold ran a creditable race on his seasonal return at Doncaster on ground which wouldn't have been ideal, but he then went backwards at Cheltenham as he ran a stinker. He then won a Mixed Open at Garthorpe last month, but wasn't exactly impressive in doing so. His main rival pulled up injured and the form looks pretty weak. The time was the slowest on the card, the 2nd was having its first start for 2 years and the 3rd was stuffed at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. His best run of the season was the Doncaster effort and he seems to have gone backwards since. The ground is crucial for him though and if it did stay good, good to firm in places then that would increase his chances. If the rain hits then his chances diminish big time.

I think Dundrum Wood is better than he was able to show in the match with Royal Chant at Sedgefield last time and this should show him in a better light. His unproven over the trip, but the fact his trainer is running him in this suggests they think it will suit. He will need the forecast rain though as he likes cut in the ground as he showed at Newcastle in December when winning off 117. He was very poor here in February which is a concern, but it looked too bad to be true and he has a chance of finishing 2nd if the rain comes.

As mentioned above as much as Keltus might have beaten Shantou Flyer anyway at Wincanton I think he was flattered by the way Shantou Flyer was ridden. He then went to Cheltenham and ran with credit before not seeing out the 4m trip. I'm not sure he wants cut in the ground either although he was running well enough on soft ground at Ludlow 4 runs back until falling at 4 out. 

I feel a bit sorry for Tusa Eire's connections as I would imagine he was being aimed at the race he won on this card 2 years ago only for the race to disappear from the card. He's 15 now and it would be an even bigger shock than when he won 2 years ago if he were to win this.

It is an interesting little race where a lot depends on what the weather does so at this stage I am not putting a bet up as we could have quick ground, but we could easily have soft ground and that changes things a lot.